male, and her pulse leapt at his shameless self-assurance and close proximity. She forced herself to keep her gaze on his handsome face and his sinful blue eyes, but out of her peripheral vision she could see the way his hard, muscular thighs stretched his faded Levi’s and she couldn’t miss the impressive bulge beneath the fly of his jeans. He was near enough to touch, tempting her to do just that, and it was all she could do to keep her hands to herself when she envisioned pushing him back on her desk and having her wicked way with him.
That burning, aching need she’d been fighting for days now made itself known once again, overwhelming her mind and body with a desire that pulled at her like a riptide. She swallowed a groan. Boy, she had it bad and probably should lay off the aphrodisiac candies, which seemed to have increased her sexual cravings even long after the effects of the stimulant should have worn off—which was a reaction she’d be sure to make note of later. Better yet, she needed to find a sexy, available guy to eat her creations, then release all his lust on her.
Oh, yeah, she could definitely go for having her own boy toy for a while. A guy whose sole purpose was to make her body sing with pleasure—over and over again. Especially if he had pitch-black hair, eat-me-up blue eyes, and a mouth made for sin.
Just like the man sitting in front of me.
Another rush of heat swept through her. Drawing a deep breath, she shoved those provocative thoughts right out of her mind before they got her in big trouble.
She leaned back in her chair, putting distance between them any way she could. “So, what can I do for you, Mr. Tremaine?”
“It’s Jack, please,” he insisted, “especially since we’ll be working together.”
She raised a brow at his presumptuousness. “We will?”
“I told you I was interested in having you design the desserts for Tremaine’s Downtown, and you promised me an exclusivity agreement.” He tipped his head questioningly. “Have you changed your mind?”
He looked a little anxious as he waited for her reply, and she found it hard to believe that such a confident man might be worried that she’d refuse his request. Not that she’d pass up such a golden opportunity, but it was nice to know that her agreement mattered to him, that he truly wanted her to create his desserts. It gave her a sense of feminine power that was foreign to her, but one she liked very much.
“No, I haven’t changed my mind,” she said softly, and immediately saw his shoulders relax. “And I’m glad you didn’t either.”
He graced her with another one of his breathtaking grins. “Then I guess that makes us even.”
Yes, it did, and she smiled back at him. “Do you have any preference on the kind of desserts you want?”
“That’s what I’m paying you for. To be creative and to provide a variety of different desserts. I’m completely open to new experiences and ideas, so don’t hold back.”
“It’s good to know you’re so daring,” she teased. “That gives me a whole lot of creative license.”
His eyes sparkled just as humorously. “Hey, I tried the Pink Squirrel the other night, didn’t I?”
She laughed at his indignant tone. “And you liked it, too,” she reminded him.
“That goes to show you the kind of risk-taking guy I can be, so bring it on, sweetheart.” He winked at her.
Bring it on. He had no idea just how adventurous her desserts could get, and she couldn’t stop herself from wondering what would happen if she mixed a bit of pleasure with their business. The result would be spontaneous combustion, no doubt.
“When do you think you’ll have the first dessert ready for me to try?” he asked.
“Let’s see,” she said thoughtfully, as she opened the day planner on her desk and skimmed through the pages. “It’s Wednesday and I need a few days to experiment with some new recipes, and to see what I can come up with. I could have something ready for you to sample, say, by Sunday?”
“That works for me. What time?”
“Since I’d prefer that we weren’t interrupted by business, how about six-thirty in the evening, a half hour after the shop closes?”
“Perfect. I’ll be here.”
She penciled in the appointment on her calendar, and as she did so, her arm brushed his jean-clad hip. She valiantly tried to ignore the heat of him, along with the tightening of her breasts that the chaste touch evoked. She could only imagine the sparks they’d ignite if they ever rubbed skin to skin.
He moved off her desk, straightened, and reached into his back pocket to withdraw his wallet. He pulled a check from his billfold and set it in front of her. She glanced from the staggering amount on the check, all the way back up to his deep, drown-in-them-forever blue eyes.
“What’s this for?”
“A down payment for your services,” he said matter-of-factly.
“I’d rather wait until services have been rendered and I have a better idea of what you owe.” She pushed the check back towards him. “You don’t even know if you’ll like the desserts I create.”
“Then we’ll just have to keep working at it until I’m completely satisfied.” He didn’t seem at all bothered by that possibility. “Besides, I have no doubt you’re worth every penny and you’ll give me my money’s worth. I also know that exclusivity doesn’t come cheap.”
No, it didn’t, but talk about blind trust in her abilities. She shook her head, certain any further argument would be futile. “Okay, fine.” If his bill was less than what he’d just given her, she’d issue him a refund. But, boy, would all that money look good in her business account.
“So we have ourselves a deal?”
Since he was towering over her, she stood, too. There was one issue she needed to address before she had her lawyer draw up a final contract and deliver it to Jack. “There’s something I need to ask you.”
He slid his fingers into the front pockets of his jeans. “Sure. Go ahead.”
She didn’t know an easy or tactful way to express her concern, so she just let it out. “I got the distinct impression at the Commerce dinner that your girlfriend wouldn’t be too thrilled to find out we’re working together. Is she going to be a problem for me?” The last thing Kayla wanted or needed was a jealous woman bad-mouthing Pure Indulgence and ruining her hard-earned reputation.
“I broke things off with Gretta the night of the dinner,” he told her, and there was no regret in his voice. “So there’s no girlfriend or significant other for you to worry about. I’m single and unattached.”
That revelation pleased her, more than was prudent, and she couldn’t stop the secretive smile that curved her lips. She’d just found the perfect test subject for her aphrodisiac desserts.
3
JACK WALKED INTO the kitchen area of his restaurant, a last check to make sure that everything was in order before he headed over to Pure
